Fisherman&#39;s bob



J. A. FROST,

FISHERMANS BOB.

APPLICATION -FILED NOV. 25, 1919.

Patented 00$ 31]., 1922.,

Patented (Cloth. 311, HQZZ.

entree snares Parent" ensues.

JOHN A. FROST, F DORCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 01F ONE-HALE 1'0 HERBERT D. CHAD'WICK, OF CONCORD,- NEW HAMPSHIRE.

FISHERMANS BUB.

Application filed. November 25, 1919. Serial No. 340,552.

To all whom it my camera:

Be it known that l, JOHN A. Fnos'r, a cit1- zen of the United States, residing at Dorchester, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Fishermens Bobs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fishermens bobs. More particularly the invention relates to floats used when fishing.

with arod, and has for its object the production of a float which can be quickly and easily adjusted in position on the line; Whose grip is central, and is so durable as to withstand an indefinite number of such ad ustments; and which is so simple in lts construction as to be both inexpensive of manu facture and not breakable by any ordlnary treatment or mistreatment. It is another obj ect of the invention to provide a bob with means by which the pull of a fish upon the line can be detected in the dark before the pull is transmitted through the line to the rod.

To these ends, the invention provides a core for the bob comprising a hollow metallic slipandgrip combination through one part of which the line may pass freely, and through another part of which the line when passing is engaged by friction so tightly that the bob is held statlonary and rigid on the line. The gripping port1on is preferably set on the axis of the bob, WlllCh may be of any ordinary or sultable shape. This core is rigidly embedded in the float, is so small and light as not to affect its buoyancy -materially, and yet furnishes a l1ne gripping surface which is immune to wear when the line is repeatedly thrust in and out, does not injure the line, and does not, as do some devices heretofore proposed for the purpose of obtaining a metallic grip on the line, have over balancing parts that pro trude up and down above the top and below the bottom of the float, causing more or less disturbance at the surface of the water. A further object of the invention to provide for the fishermans immediate penoeptiio n of the pull of a fish has relation to the fact that by virtue of the simple axial line-grip the float can maintain in the water a position with its axis vertical. Being in this position, the top part of the float is above the surface of the water, and is not exposed to the view of any fishthat may be in the water, and is coated with a luminous material. 5

The night fisherman then sees a spot of light, whose disappearance indicates a pull on the l ne from below. The device meanwhlle 1s safe as regards distracting fish from the balt, or as regards scaring them away from the vlc-inity, because the vertical hangmg of the float keeps the luminous surface out of view from the water.

The invention can be applied in various ways and it is intended that the patent shall cover, by sultable expression in the appended clalms, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated' in the accompanying drawing, in which:

. Figure 1 is a side elevation in medial section, on the line 1-1 of Figure 2, of a float or bob;

Figure 2 is a plan in section at the place of greatest diameter of the device shown in Figure 1;;

Figure 3 is a plan showing the top of such a bob on a smaller scale;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the device shown in Figure 3; and,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a detail.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a body of cork or other buoyant material which may preferably have a prolate ovoid shape as indicated, with flat top and bottom,

portion thus folded is left large enough and preferably circular, in general shape, to receive the line loosely. The place a where the metal curves through a reverse bend from the loop a to the lips 6 forms a contracting throat into which the line 13 (Fig ure 2) enters when drawn that way from the loop, thereby spreading the lips apart MED against the spring tension of the metal supplemented by the elastic backing afi'orded by the body of cork. Because of the presence of this elastic cork backing, the metallic sheet may be made of thin stock and need not be so delicately tempered, but will retain its springy action and its grip on the line under circumstances in which it would fail if it were unsupported by the cork. To provide this construction, a hole may be drilled vertically through the cork in the place where the loop is to go, the cork being suitably held, preferably under compression .for the purpose, and then a small saw cut extending one side of this hole a short distance provides a completed opening through the midst of the cork through which t e metal piece can be forced endwise.

When the combination has thus been completed, the metal constitutes a linin for the cork such that the cord of the fish line never rubs against the cork, and does not break off small ieces of the cork as such accord always does W en the cork is unprotected; even when it vis pinched tightly in the contractin throat, or between the lips 12. The meta may be held in place by glue, if desired, although experience thus far indicates that friction. alone maybe sufiicient.

When a line has been threaded through the bob thus made, and is cast into the water with the small end of the bob downward, theweight of the immersed portion of the line and the hook and sinker which it carries holds the bob with its axis approximately vertical and with the portion which is covered by the heavy line 12 in Fi ure 4 out of water and facing upward. his line indicates a coating of luminous material, the side portion of which is also indicated by the shading of lines in Figures 3 and 4. This luminosity, therefore, is so arranged as not to be visible under the surface of the water when the bob is afloat, but to be visible to the fisherman; but when drawn under the water the small angle at which the fishermans line of vision strikes the surface of the water is too small, and the distance to great, for the relatively small luminosity to come through the surface of the liquid, so that it disappears from view, thereby giving to him the awaited signal without the luminosity having been a disturbing influence in the neighborhood of the bait while it was on the surface.

The core lining may preferably be arranged so that the lips b, or at least the contracting throat 0, are about on the line of the axis of the ovoid body of cork, so that when in use the line 13 will be on the axis. This part of the apparatus, however,

has such small diameter relative to the total diameter that the bob will stand satisfactorily even when the loop portion a is on the axis. Figure 6 illustrates the construcmasses tion which is preferred in this respect; and it can easily be seen from .the other figures that the placing of the core grip somewhat eccentrically does not make much difference. It will be understood that the size of the core is exag erated in the drawin s for clearness o showing. Another eature which ma be added as a measure of safety and dura ility is the terminal flange d which, as clearly shown in Figure 5, is formed by bending one of the lips I) at right angles so as to overlap the end of the ot er lip b. This will prevent anyone from pulling the line 13 so hard between the lips as to pull it out into' the soft cork adjacent. Fi re 2 illustrates its use thus as a barrier w en the lips I) are-spread.

I claim as my invention 1. A fishermans bob comprising a float having through it a assage for the line, combined with a lining having portions side by side and communicating, one of which is adapted to slip the line easil and the other of which is adapted to ho d the line frictionally,

2. A fishermans bob com; rising a float having through it a passage or the line, the

walls of the passage being elastically pressed together and having a wear resisting lining constituting elastic jaws of a clamp adapted to hold the line and having its entrance permanently open to receive or release it.

3. A fishermans bob comprising a float of buoyant solid material having through it a passage for the line and a lining of sheet material therefor formed with a fold, constituting a loop for easy passage of the line and lips for holdin the line, opening of the lips being resiste by the solid material of the float.

4. A fishermans bob comprising a prolate float, having a hole for the line extending along its major axis, provided with walls adapted to grip the line compressively and to let slip t e line, said adaptations being each continuous, in point of time, and both existing at the same time.

5. A fishermans bob comprising a prolate float, having a hole for the line extending along its major axis, provided with walls adapted both to grip the line compressively and to letslip the line; combined with luminous material coating one end portion of the said float.

6. A fishermans bob comprisin ,a float; means to maintain it on the line with a predetermined portion of the float out of the water and facing upward and near the surface of the water, so that-a slight down pull 7. A fishermans bob comprising a float having through it a passage for the line, combined With a lining for the passage adapted in one place to let the line slip easily, in another to spread elastically and so to hold the line frictionally, and having a barrier at the end of the spreadable portion to prevent the escape of the line from being contained by the lining whenthe lips are spread.

Signed at Boston, Massachusetts, this 20th 

